We heard that Spotify was in advanced talks to acquire Gimlet Media. In a surprise move, Spotify announced that it has not only acquired Gimlet Media, but also has acquired Anchor.

The transactions are expected to close in the first quarter of 2019 and subject to customary closing conditions. The terms of the transactions were not disclosed.

With these acquisitions, Spotify is positioned to become both the premier producer of podcasts and the leading platform for podcast creators. Gimlet will bring to Spotify its best-in-class podcast studio with dedicated IP development, production and advertising capabilities. Anchor will bring its platform of tools for podcast creators and its established and rapidly growing creator base.

Gimlet tweeted: “Big news: we are very excited to be joining @Spotify!” It included a Spotify tweet that said “Spotify to acquire Gimlet Media Inc. and Anchor. Read the press release here to learn more about how we’re accelerating growth in podcasting:” The tweet included a link to the Spotify press release.

Anchor posted on Medium an article titled “Anchor is joining Spotify”. It clarifies a few things. Anchor says that it will be bringing Anchor’s suite of tools for podcast creation, distribution, and monetization, to Spotify’s community of more than 200 million global users.

Anchor also said: “If you are already using Anchor to make your podcast, today’s news means great things for your ability to create and build your show. To be clear, the way you create, distribute, and monetize on Anchor does not change. We will continue to operate Anchor’s platform as you know it (but now as part of Spotify!), and in fact will only be getting better.”

According to Recode, Spotify is in advanced talks to acquire Gimlet Media. Spotify reportedly plans to pay more than $200 million to buy Gimlet Media.

If this deal happens, it will be the first time Spotify has bought a content company. It will also be one of the biggest acquisitions in the podcasting industry.

It is possible that Spotify is looking to compete with Apple Podcasts for podcast listeners. Recode noted that while Apple is the dominant podcast distributer, it doesn’t appear to spend much energy on podcasts. Spotify has already started promoting podcasts to its 200 million users.

Hot Pod pointed out that Spotify has already started emphasizing a content strategy where it brings “voices in-house, or at least exclusively licenses their content”.

One of those deals involved Amy Schumer. Her comedy podcast 3 Girls 1 Keith is exclusively on Spotify.

Spotify reported that The Joe Budden Podcast brought its series exclusively to Spotify on September 12, 2018. The Apple Podcast listing for The Joe Budden Podcast has some extremely short episodes that direct listeners to seek out the podcast on Spotify.

Jemele Hill’sUnbothered podcast will launch on Spotify in March of 2019. It will be hosted by Jemele Hill and her co-hosts, and will include a rotating cast of guests. It will provide an honest discussion of American life. It appears this podcast will be exclusive to Spotify.

Eric Wahlforss a co-founder of SoundCloud, announced that he is stepping away from the platform. He has been with the company for more than a decade, most recently in the chief product officer role.

The decision was announced by Eric Wahlforss on January 24, 2019, on Twitter. Part of that tweet says:

…As many of you know, I am someone who loves to build and create new things.

After more than 11 years of building up our wonderful platform for artists, DJs and audio creators, I have come to the realization that now is the right time for me to take a break, reflect and think about what to create next.

So I have decided to step back from day-to-day operations at SoundCloud, and transition into an advisory role for the company starting March 1st…

If you missed the news about this change at SoundCloud when it was originally posted on Twitter, I assure you that you weren’t the only one. I was unaware of it until today, and could not find many articles about it.

Engadget reported that Eric Wahlforss’s departure means that SoundCloud’s original founders will no longer be involved in the day-to-day operations of the company. Co-Founder Alex Ljung stepped aside as CEO in July of 2017, and was later replaced by Vimeo CEO Kerry Trainor.

PodX 2019 will take place in Nashville, Tennessee, on May 31- June 2, at the Music City Center. Tickets are available now. PodX 2019 is described as “the podcast convention you’ve been waiting for!”

PodX brings together your favorite networks, podcasters, and podcasts, from true crime and politics to pop culture and storytelling, all in one incredible weekend. Explore the world of podcasts, experience panel discussions and live shows, learn from experts, and expand your knowledge of the evolving art of podcasting, all at PodX.

There are approximately 50 featured presenters listed on the PodX 2019 website. At a glance, you can see a photo of each presenter, their name, and the name of their podcast. There could be more presenters added – and some might change – between now and the conference.

SquadCast announced the launch of SquadCast v 1. It is their first official step out of beta. SquadCast allows you to “put an end to your toxic relationship with remote interviews”.

It’s about time for remote podcast interviews to not suck so much. Settle down without settling at all with SquadCast.

SquadCast listened to people who provided clarity on what matters most, and what doesn’t, in an audio recording platform. For example, they listened to the San Francisco Podcasters Association, who told them that “audio drift is a huge problem”. This was one piece of advice that made it clear that the post-production experience of editing audio is paramount.

RØDECaster Pro is the world’s first fully integrated podcast production studio. Whether you are just starting out, or are a seasoned broadcast professional, the RØDECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio is all you will ever need.

The RØDECaster Pro operates as a standalone unit straight out of the box, recording your finished podcast direct to a microSD card. The RØDECaster Pro also connects to your computer as a USB audio interface, so you can record your podcast to your favorite recording software or stream live.

And with the new 1.1.0 software version available in February 2019, you will be able to separately record in multi-channel mode, allowing you to separately record each of the sources to its own track for later post-production.

Somethin’ Else announced a new podcast called David Tennant Does a Podcast With… It is hosted by David Tennant, who will talk with the biggest names from TV, movies, comedy, and elsewhere in each episode.

The podcast is being released from Somethin’ Else’s podcast studio, Sound Directions. The Apple Podcasts description says it is “A Somethin’ Else and No Mystery production”.

Future episodes will see Tennant welcome a diverse selection of influential names including Whoopi Goldberg, Sir Ian McKellen, Jon Hamm, the former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Michael Sheen, Krysten Ritter and Samantha Bee. Doctor Who fans will also be excited to hear that Tennant will host the current Doctor, Jodie Whittaker, in the coming weeks. More names will be announced imminently.

The podcast’s first episode will feature Olivia Colman, who has been nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars and the BAFTAs for her role as Queen Anne in the critically acclaimed ‘The Favorite’. Episodes will be released every Tuesday on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all good podcast providers.

Podchaser announced their 2019 roadmap and 2018 review. They revealed several things that are coming to Podchaser in 2019, as well as their solutions to the decentralization dilemma.

One of the things Podchaser is doing is allowing for merchandise. You can sync your TeePublic store with your podcast page on Podchaser. Now, when you direct listeners to rate and review on Podchaser, you can ask them to buy a t-shirt, too.

I think this is an interesting idea. Many podcasts have logos that can easily go on t-shirts and tank tops. Podchaser is making it easier for listeners to not only know that the t-shirts exist, but also where to buy one.

In addition, Podchaser will soon allow podcasters to connect their existing donation platform account with their Podchaser podcast page so listeners can contribute to your podcast via Podchaser. This could potentially mean that podcasters who have a Patreon could connect that with their Podchaser page. Podchaser is asking for suggestions about which donations platforms they should support.

Podchaser is also working on solutions for discovery of podcasts:

“Follow” Podcasts, Creators & Lists: By creating an account and utilizing Podchaser’s upcoming “Follow” feature, you’ll be notified when a podcast releases a new episode, a Creator appears on a podcast, or a List is updated.

Smart Recommendations & Feed: Podchaser is launching a custom feed full of recommendations created just for you. It combines your “Follow” data, listening habits, and ratings/reviews.

Featured Snippets: Once a podcast is claimed, Creators can add a featured snippet for a podcast and each episode to give listeners a taste of the content. These snippets will appear in users’ feeds as part of Podchaser’s Smart Recommendations.

ZCast announced that after four years, they have decided to end their ZCast journey. They have provided some instructions for podcasters who have content on ZCast and who want to download it or move it elsewhere.

ZCast said that the decision to end ZCast was not an easy one. By way of explanation, they wrote “Unfortunately, startups are sometimes unpredictable and things change in rapid speed, at times for the best, but too many times for the worst.”

Those who have podcasts on ZCast need to be aware that ZCast will run in a minimal capacity between now and the end of January 2019. After that, it will shut down indefinitely.

There is now a download feature that enables users to download any content that they recorded in ZCast. To download an episode, users need to go to their personal ZCast page and use a button that is next to each episode to locate the “Download MP3” option.

Users who have an entire RSS feed are asked to choose a new hosting provider for their podcast, and then look at that host’s instructions on how to import an existing RSS feed into their platform. ZCast has more details about how to find your old RSS link on ZCast.

It is always a good idea to set aside time that you can dedicate to getting your content off of a hosting provider before it shuts down. Don’t wait until the last minute. There is an email address on the ZCast blog post that users can use if they have questions or concerns.